A new beginning

Twenty-two months have passed since the day Hana passed away. A familiar young boy finds himself in a shower of the most important technology company on this devastated planet. After showering, dressing, and grooming, the tall and muscular young boy leaves his apartment on his way to take a routine company physical exam. An AI read the results of the exam.

*Mi Ano, 17 years-old, 186 centimeters, male, AB positive.*

*Optimal physical condition at 96%.*

"Very good, Ano-san, it's all perfect. Surely that 4% is from the wound you got the other day." Asu industries nurse said. My god he’s so perfect… If I wasn’t married…

The almost 17-year-old was completely different from how he was before. His muscular physique made him look five years older than he was. His hair, which he always wore disheveled, was combed daily with a wet wax. His hair stopped being dirty and gave way to a completely black hair on top and gray gradient hair on the bottom. For work, he wore a ebony black suit, adorned with a golden tie and a bee-shaped brooch representing the Asu brand.

Far away were the clothes the young boy used to wear. What he wore were completely black suits and shirts, occasionally with white or gold motifs, leather jackets, black jeans, black leather boots, and shoes... he even wore a personalized earring with his and Hana's name on it. No matter where you looked, everything was dark except for a pendant he never took off. The faded yellow star of his beloved friend always adorned the young boy's chest wherever he went.

The boy was still getting materials from his new job. But when he switched to a more theoretical position on the B.U.T.H.O battlesuit development, he ran out of materials. So he started stealing materials from dealers, and the money he earned from his job at Asu went to his friends at the hostel and other certain purchases.

****

After the medical check-up, the young boy went to work. During the last 22 months, the boy went through several processes to prove his worth in the B.U.T.H.O project. At first it was just assembling small test components, then he moved on to developing more complex components, and finally he made it to the most technical position, development manager.

All Ano did was design and oversee the development of the suit. He had become someone important, which gave him access to many parts of the Asu building. However, in the last 22 months, he didn't get any concrete evidence and never heard about that pink drug again.

Just another day in this shitty company. I will put up with whatever it takes until I find out who's the rat that's playing with people's lives!!! No matter how long it takes, my only goal is to make the culprit pay.

****

The young boy spent most of his working day in his office. It was quite spacious and elegant, with the characteristic white of Asu Industries. However, he wore all black and hid his pendant inside the suit he wore. He was convinced that someone from Asu was responsible for the biggest loss of his life.

*Knock knock*

"Go ahead." The young boy replied.

"Ano-san, I bring you the latest prototypes of the retro thrusters that the production people have made."

That woman named Yuki was something of a secretary working for Ano. Technically, she was a middlewoman who was in charge of overseeing the assembly of new components. This kept Ano himself from having to supervise it, and he could spend his time further developing the technology behind the suit.

The young boy took the prototypes and, in less than a minute, concluded the quality of the prototypes.

"It's all wrong. Do I have to explain to them again how my notes are read?" He said coldly and seriously.

The truth was that those prototypes were perfect. Ano himself had designed the plans to the millimeter, and it was enough for the workers to follow the plans.

"If you'll allow me, I'll do it myself." Answered Yuki.

"No. It's been a while since I've been there, and it shows in the performance of the workers."

Ano put on his coal-black jacket and headed for the assembly center. He really intended to go out so he could gather information or collect materials from the company. He arrived at the assembly center and set out to talk to his workers.

"ATTENTION!" Ano shouted sharply. "What I have in my hands is garbage. Over the next month, there will be multiple quality inspections. Anyone who does not measure up will be fired on the spot!"

After this, the young boy took the prototype materials with him to continue building his suit in secret. Not only had he changed physically, but his lifestyle and what he experienced almost two years ago caused his personality to change completely.

A strangely sad aura enveloped the young boy. It was an aura that emanated aggression and sadness. Although no one could see it, anyone who approached him could feel in the young boy's gaze an energy that spreads depressive feelings. That is why many avoided approaching him or looking at his evil eyes.

At the end of the day, he went to the new apartment he got thanks to his promotion. Thanks to his promotion, he had long since left the first apartment in which he had been living in that building.

****

Ano, after another long day of work, arrived at his apartment inside the gigantic building. It was no different from his first room. The main difference was that it was larger, had a large window overlooking the city, and it was better connected with everything in the building. He took a shower and went through his personal list of gadgets he had developed so far in the last months.

The textile hologram. Can no longer just change the color of clothing but can project completely different clothing onto me.

The improved folding pistol. It can store up to 12 bullets inside. Plus, I have extra magazines.

The improved PDA. Faster, more powerful, and more effective than the first one I made when I got here.

Miniature Wave Disruptors. If I place these disruptors scattered in an area of no more than one square kilometer, I can make that space belong to me for a limited time.

The many improvements I have made to the master's Z-910. Weapons, engine modifications, distraction devices… and more.

The force multiplier device. With this, I can endow my B.U.T.H.O with 100 times the strength of a normal person.

The plasma and kinetic energy shields. They are also components of the suit. They act exactly like a shield that will make me immune to such attacks.

The plasma sword. Its battery only lasts for 5 minutes. For now, it’s the most powerful attack device alongside the force multiplier.

And finally, the prototype of the thrusters. It still has some work to do, but those Asu workers have made a good base.

Gosh I've done a lot in the past 22 months. But I still have yet to create and improve the offensive potential of the suit.

It was also common for the young boy to go out at night. Ano extorted and beat up potential informants who had relevant information that would bring him closer to the truth about Hana's murder. These nocturnal outings contributed to the boy's lack of sleep. Although the lack of sleep that night was due to another reason.

After reviewing the list of components and inventions he had developed, the young boy picked up his Cyber Hut and lay down on the bed. It was time to transport to his safe place on earth.

"Execute Hana program."

With those words, the device loaded the boy's personal and private program. This program transfers the user's mind into a cybernetic avatar of the person in a personalized virtual world. In this case, Ano entered a private virtual space.

"Hello Hana, I've arrived."

The young inventor had created a virtual space inside his Cyber Hut. Ano's use of the Cyber Hut since he was a child was to gather information and take notes, except for one time when he used it to meet a girl who would turn out to be Mai Asu. In the span of time he was working on his suit for Asu, the boy discovered that he could transfer his consciousness into cyberspace. Some people used them to socialize with other avatars in a sort of cyber limbo.

The concept is simple. A person creates his cybernetic avatar and transfers his consciousness to be able to move it and perform actions. To put it another way, it would be like having a second body and a second mind on the network.

But the young inventor did not use this function to socialize or interact with people. Instead, Ano created his own personalized cyberspace located in his old neighborhood. This, along with the video he treasured of Hana, allowed him to create a realistic space where he could see, in first person, his dear friend dancing just as she did in the video. There he would spend hours watching his young friend's avatar dance. There were even days when he would try to dance with her.

Ano had not visited his friend's grave since the day he buried her. The pendant he made with the star from her scrunchie and that simulation were the only things that could calm the agitated and dark heart of the young boy.

But he was unable to escape his past. The mistakes he made have haunted him ever since that day. Since then, nightmares haunt him and he suffers from such a lack of sleep that his personality became much more unsympathetic and dark than it was on his 16th birthday. However, that little cyberspace he created for himself managed to calm his mind, allowing him to fall asleep.

This was the 589th time Ano had entered this simulation in the last 20 months. After enjoying the little free time he had that day, the young boy left his beloved simulation. He took off his Cyber Hut and prepared to sleep another day in the company that took his friend's life.

I think I'll go visit master Akira tomorrow.